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Kevin Bacon and Brother to Play Reporter’s Music Jam at White House Correspondents’ Dinner Weekend

March 5, 2018 By Tammy Haddad

White House Correspondents’ Jam organizer and Rolling Stone Chuck Leavell playing at the 2017 event, Photo Courtesy Getty Images

Actor Kevin Bacon and his brother Michael Bacon, together known as The Bacon Brothers, are set to headline this year’s annual White House Correspondents’ Jam, which will be held on April 27th, one day before the Correspondents’ Dinner itself.

The concert is organized each year by Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell, who, according to the Washington Post, “usually enlists a bona fide celebrity band to headline, then rounds out the lineup with bands whose members include moonlighting journalists”.

Journalists on the roster of this year’s Correspondents’ Jam include Lester Holt and his band, and Wall Street Journal senior editor Michael Siconolfi’s group. FOX News’ Chief White House Correspondent John Roberts will be emceeing.

The Post mentions a possible reason for the Bacon Brothers’ appearance. The brothers use the opportunity to come to DC in order “to see their sister, local real estate developer Elinor Bacon”.

You can read more about the Bacon Brothers and the Correspondents’ Jam here.

Filed Under: 2018 WHCD, News Media Tagged With: Chuck Leavell, Fox, John Roberts, Kevin Bacon, Lester Holt, Michael Bacon, Michael Siconolfi, Tammy Haddad, Washington Post, White House Correspondents Dinner, White House Correspondents’ Jam

Hollywood Reporter Predicts Less Action at White House Correspondents Dinner

February 27, 2018 By WHC Insider

Don Lemon, Stephanie Ruhle, and Matt and Morgan Walsh at the 2017 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch

Jeremy Barr, writing for the Hollywood Report today, claims that many of the media companies that traditionally host parties during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner weekend will be skipping out this year, but is that true?

According to Barr, “Representatives for Vanity Fair and Bloomberg confirmed that, like last year, the brands will not be co-hosting a party this year. A spokeswoman for The New Yorker said the magazine’s once-renowned party, canceled last year, isn’t happening this year either.” Barr could not confirm whether MSNBC will once again host their annual Correspondents’ Dinner after party.

This year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner takes place on April 28th. Tammy Haddad started The White House Correspondents Garden Brunch 25 years ago but has not yet commented on this year’s event.

You can read Barr’s full report here.

Filed Under: 2018 WHCD, News Media Tagged With: Jeremy Barr, MSNBC, Tammy Haddad, White House Correspondents Dinner, White House Correspondents Garden Brunch

Comedian Michelle Wolf to Headline White House Correspondents’ Dinner

February 23, 2018 By Tammy Haddad

Fred Humphries, Mark Ein, Joe Goldman, Mark Testoni, Hilary Rosen, and Matt Walsh at the 2017 Washington Correspondents’ Garden Brunch

Michelle Wolf, “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” contributor will serve as the night’s entertainment for this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, April 28th. The dinner acts as an annual gathering of the nation’s top journalists and a who’s who of government and business leaders. The event, which will be carried live on all the major television networks, will surely be Wolf’s most high-profile performance yet.

Margaret Talev, president of the WHCA and a Bloomberg White House reporter, said of the announcement, “Our dinner honors the First Amendment and strong, independent journalism. Her embrace of these values and her truth-to-power style make her a great friend to the WHCA. Her Pennsylvania roots, stints on Wall Street and in science and self-made, feminist edge make her the right voice now.”

Wolf is also set to host an as-yet-untitled weekly late-night series on Netflix, which is set to premiere this year. According to Netflix, the show “will take a break from the seriousness of late night comedy. Instead of making the news fun, she’ll make fun of everything and everybody. There will be no preaching or political agenda…unless it’s funny.” The comedian is gearing up for a big 2018, having hosted an HBO special “Michelle Wolf: Nice Lady” earlier this month.

Curious about what Washington’s big weekend is all about? Check out the links below for podcasts on all the best moments and memories.

Jon Favreau and Jon Lovett on comedy’s role at the White House Correspondents’ Weekend here.

Robin Bronk on the power of celebrity to drive policy here.

George Condon’s candid history of the White House and the press here.

You can find more coverage of the entire White House Correspondents’ Dinner Weekend here.

Filed Under: 2018 WHCD, News Media Tagged With: George Condon, Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Margaret Talev, Michelle Wolf, Robin Bronk, Tammy Haddad, WHCA, White House Correspondents Dinner

Trump to Make Gridiron Appearance

February 20, 2018 By Tammy Haddad

Donald and Melania Trump attending the 2015 White House Correspondents Dinner, Photo Courtesy Getty Images

Donald Trump announced plans to attend this year’s annual Gridiron Party on Tuesday, February 20th, which is set to take place in March. The decision to participate in this year’s event comes at a point when coverage of the President is combative at best. Last year, the administration decided to attend the off-the-record Gridiron Party in lieu of the more illustrious White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

David Lightman, a national correspondent for McClatchy and president of the Gridiron Club, stated that the president’s attendance at the dinner is simply keeping with tradition. “He’s the president of the United States, and we always invite the president.”

It is also worth noting that Trump has not ruled out attending the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, “no decision has been made regarding the WHCA dinner,” in response to the Daily Mail article stating that Trump plans on attending the Correspondents’ Dinner, which is set to happen this April.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: David Lightman, Donald Trump, Gridiron Club and Foundation, Gridiron Dinner, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House Correspondents Dinner

Entrepreneurs and Military Families in Spotlight at Annual Garden Brunch for White House Correspondents’ Weekend

May 2, 2016 By WHC Insider

Media notables, Hollywood stars, and leaders from the business and non-profit sectors came together on Saturday for the annual Garden Brunch in honor of White House Correspondents’ Weekend. The mission of this year’s brunch was to recognize entrepreneurs who are ‘starting out and starting up’, along with initiatives that support members of the military and their families.

Dr. Sachiko Kuno with Halcyon Incubator Cohort4: Jeffrey Prost-Greene, Eric Shih, Kathleen O'Keefe, Daniel Hill, Charlene Brown, Faran Negarestan and Kristof Grina

Dr. Sachiko Kuno with Halcyon Incubator Cohort4: Jeffrey Prost-Greene, Eric Shih, Kathleen O’Keefe, Daniel Hill, Charlene Brown, Faran Negarestan and Kristof Grina

Hilary Rosen introduces Connie Milstein and Derrick & Emma Dockery of Yellow Ribbons United

Hilary Rosen introduces Connie Milstein and Derrick & Emma Dockery of Yellow Ribbons United

The brunch raised awareness for Halcyon Incubator, an organization founded by Dr. Sachiko Kuno that supports early stage social entrepreneurs through an immersive 18-month fellowship program. As guests arrived, they were asked to share their advice for individuals who are seeking to launch a new career and change the world. The notes were shared on an interactive PPI board provided by Microsoft.

Tony Goldwyn shares advice on the Microsoft PPI

Tony Goldwyn shares advice on the Microsoft PPI

Tony Goldwyn, who plays President Fitz Grant on ABC’s Scandal, shared: “Commit 100% to your dream. That will lead you to places you can’t even imagine!”

Sheila C. Johnson introduces Dr. Sachiko Kuno

Sheila C. Johnson introduces Dr. Sachiko Kuno

Sheila C. Johnson, co-founder of BET, philanthropist and the first African American female billionaire, knows a thing or two about success. Her advice? “Be bold and be fearless!”

Arianna Huffington and Travis Kalanick

Arianna Huffington and Travis Kalanick

Arianna Huffington and Travis Kalanick, who arrived at the brunch together, are two of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs. Huffington’s tip: “Remember failure is a stepping stone to success!” And Kalanick shared insights based on his own experience of creating Uber: “You can bend reality but don’t break it!”

Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Joanna Coles focused on practical advice: “Do not argue with your boss when u are drunk, even if u are right.” Under Armour CEO and Founder Kevin Plank also offered sound business advice with “Find out if your product can sell!!!”

Fox News Channel’s Greta Van Susteren encouraged individuals to broaden their horizons: “Travel! See the world so that you know something!” And CNN’s Wolf Blitzer gave advice that is often heard in Washington: “You may be smart, but other people may be smarter. Listen and take advantage and learn. Two heads are smarter than one.”

The focus on entrepreneurship and Halcyon Incubator was highlighted during the event as Dr. Sachiko Kuno, CEO of S&R Foundation, took the stage to talk about the work of her organization and to introduce the program’s current cohort.

This year’s Garden Brunch also raised awareness for Yellow Ribbons United and their initiative #PlayfieldInThePark, which serves approximately 500 children and teens attending the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) Good Grief Camp and Honoring Our Heroes Camp over Memorial Day Weekend. The program was created by Derrick and Emma Dockery, and has recently received the support of Constance Milstein, who was also a co-host of the Garden Brunch.

In addition to sharing their mission with brunch guests, Emma Dockery also had advice for budding entrepreneurs: “Never give up, for every no you may receive there is someone who will say yes!”

Neve Campbell, Derrick Dockery, Emma Dockery, Tammy Haddad

Neve Campbell, Derrick Dockery, Emma Dockery, Tammy Haddad

Additional guests from the entertainment industry included Bryan Cranston of HBO’s All the Way, Director Jay Roach, Oscar winning actress Helen Mirren, House of Cards’ Neve Campbell, Daredevil’s Rosario Dawson, Lisa Edelstein from Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce, Constance Zimmer of UnREAL, The Creative Coalition CEO Robin Bronk, Blindspot’s Jaimie Alexander, House of Cards’ Michael Kelly, actress Sela Ward, Blue Bloods’ Bridget Moynahan, Concussion’s Gugu Mbatha-Raw, model Anne V, Independence Day’s Jeff Goldblum, Valeri and Candace Cameron Bure, Omarosa, Eric Podwall, Dule Hill, Matthew Morrison, HBO’s Len Amato, Scandal’s Scott Foley, and model Daniela Lopez.

Media in attendance included Charlie Rose, Jim Bankoff, Kevin Merida and Marie Donoghue from ESPN, Gayle King, Wolf Blitzer, Laura Ingraham, Bret and Amy Baier, Brian and Jamie Stelter, Betsy Fischer-Martin, Stephanie Ruhle, Joy Behar, and April Ryan. Tech was also represented by Josh Ginsberg, CEO of Zignal Labs, Erin Egan of Facebook, Snap Chat’s Nick Bell and Instagram’s Charlton Golson, John Tass-Parker and Charles Porch.

From the world of government and politics, guests included Valerie Jarrett, Tina Tchen, SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet, Heather Podesta, Tony Podesta, Jeremy Bernard, Megan Smith, Robert and Capricia Marshall, Heather Rothenberg and Ellie Schafer, Representative Joaquin Castro, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Dr. and Mrs. Anthony Fauci of NIH, World Bank President Jim Kim, Mike and Kristi Rogers, Ben Ginsberg, and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter.

The crowd was kept up-to-the moment on the presidential election with Zignal Labs‘ realtime analytics.

zignal

Dessert treats were provided by Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis of Georgetown Cupcakes.

The 2016 Garden Brunch was held at the historic Beall-Washington House in Georgetown. The event host committee consisted of Tammy Haddad, Kevin Sheekey, Hilary Rosen, Sachiko Kuno, Fred Humphries, Mark and Sally Ein, Connie Milstein, Anita Dunn, Bill Knapp, David Adler, and Franco Nuschese.

Filed Under: 2016 Garden Brunch, 2016 WHCD, Causes, Entertainment, Event Coverage, Military, MIlitary Familiies, News, Uber, Washington, Washington Events Tagged With: Arianna Huffington, Dr. Sachiko Kuno, Haddad Media, Halcyon Incubator, Kevin PLank, Rosario Dawson, Scandal, Sheila Johnson, Tammy Haddad, Tony Goldwyn, Travis Kalanick, White House, White House Correspondents Association, White House Correspondents Dinner, Yellow Ribbons United

WHCD Host Larry Wilmore Set to “Roast” President Obama

April 28, 2016 By Christian Conner

larrywilmore

This year’s host of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Larry Wilmore, host of the “Nightly Show”, spoke with C-SPAN’s Peter Slen ahead of the big event.

“You just want to check and see if the president is laughing. That’s the most important thing. If he’s laughing, you’re doing ok.”

Wilmore also discussed the tone he will set for the show. “It is a roast and people do expect to get ribbed a lot. You’re not really attacking them, you’re roasting them. You’re doing it in a good spirit.”

As for topics Wilmore will discuss he said, “I’ll definitely bring up race, that’s going to be an issue in a lot of different ways. I will bring up the presidential election–lot of things to talk about there. We’ll talk about some people in the room, talk about Obama’s legacy a little bit.”

Hey Larry, tell Donald Trump not to take it too harshly. You can watch Seth Meyers roasting the Donald here.

Filed Under: 2016 WHCD Tagged With: Larry Wilmore, White House Correspondents Dinner

Veeples! The Morning After Starts TONIGHT!

April 24, 2016 By WHC Insider

VEEP Cast for WHC Insider article

Veep Cast at the 2014 White Correspondents’ Garden Brunch

Politicos can turn from the 2016 election mess to the Veep election mess as the fifth season which premieres today will re-start with the morning after the election that left President Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and her opponent Sen. Bill O’Brien (Brad Leland) bang in midst of battle with each other.

The fifth season which starts on April 24th is helmed by David Mandel, of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Seinfeld fame, as well as Julia Louis Dreyfus and Frank Rich.  @HBOVeep won the Emmy for Best comedy in 2015 and has been picked up for a sixth season.

Here is a taste. Veep Season 5 Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDesAgis8NU

Filed Under: 2016 WHCD, DC, Washington Tagged With: Brad Leland, David Mandel, Frank Rich, HBO, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep, WHCD, White House Corespondents' Garden Brunch, White House Correspondents Dinner

ABC Stars Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn lead this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association parade

April 21, 2016 By WHC Insider

Kerry Washington and Willie Geist at the 2012 Garden Brunch.

It’s that time of the year again, when politics and paparazzi come together to celebrate the 96th White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on April 30th, and the names of the A-list celebrity guests are filtering in.

The annual correspondent’s dinner at the Washington Hilton is a black-tie affair for 2600 of the most well known celebrities, politicos and journalists in America. Past guests have ranged from movie dogs (Uggie the Dog from Oscar-winning film The Artist) all the way to current Republican frontrunner Donald Trump in 2011.

This year the comedian for the evening is Larry Wilmore, host of Comedy Central’s “Nightly Show.” Every year, the news organizations compete to bring the biggest and brightest stars to join their journalists for the evening’s festivities. ABC network looks like they’ve won the prize with the cast of Scandal and Black-ish.

Tony Goldwyn supporting Dog Tag Bakery at the Garden Brunch 2014.

ABC Guests

Shonda Rhimes, TV mogul, Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy, How to Get Away With Murder

Kerry Washington, Scott Foley and Tony Goldwyn — Cast of Scandal

Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross,  Black-ish

Kenya Barris, Creator of Black-ish

Filed Under: 2016 WHCD Tagged With: ABC, Donald Trump, Kerry Washington, Larry Wilmore, Tony Goldwyn, White House Correspondents Dinner

Trump Snubs White House Correspondents’ Dinner

April 13, 2016 By Christian Conner

IMG_0352

Donald and Melania Trump with Lilly Weymouth and WHCInsider Editor-in-Chief Tammy Haddad.

A report out today from The Hill says that Donald Trump will not attend this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 30th. Back in 2011, Donald Trump, a guest of the Washington Post, was roasted to the crowd’s delight by President Obama.

Asked why he wouldn’t be attending the event this year, “I was asked by every single group of media available to mankind [to attend this year]. But I’ve decided not to go. Do you know why? I would have a good time and the press would say I look like I wasn’t having a good time.”

In his interview with The Hill he said of his 2011 experience, “I had a great time. I was very honored by all of the attention. The president told joke after joke and it was good. They were all very nice and delivered nicely and I had a great time and told the press. For four years, I’ve read what a miserable time I had.”

IMG_0348

US Secret Service wanding Donald Trump as he enters the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

Filed Under: 2016 WHCD Tagged With: Donald Trump, White House Correspondents Dinner

Can Joel McHale Make the President Laugh at White House Correspondents' Dinner?

February 16, 2014 By Tammy Haddad

Veteran comedian and actor Joel McHale is also a veteran attendee of the White House Correspondents Dinner so it will probably give him a leg up on getting the president and the 2,000 attendees to laugh at his jokes. Few comedians are guests before they take the podium to address the notoriously tough crowd and the president sitting inches away.

Steve Thomma, President of the White House Correspondents Association this year, selected McHale who is probably best known for hosting “Talk Soup”, the weekly snarkfest making fun of TV’s lowest moments. His acting career is in high gear as he co-stars in NBC’s “Community.” Thomma is the well respected politics editor of The McClatchy papers. It is the White House Correspondents Association 100th annual dinner so the pressure is on to create a memorable program.

Thomma has stood tall in the White House Correspondents fight with the Obama White House over photographers lack of access to presidential events.

This year’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner is scheduled for Saturday, May 3rd.

Filed Under: Correspondents, News, The White House, WHCA Dinner Tagged With: Community, Joel McHale, President Obama, Steve Thomma, White House Correspondents Dinner

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About White House Correspondents Insider

Exploring “behind the scenes” of the most powerful reporters and editors in the world, the Washington press corps. We track the White House Correspondents’ weekend and all the activities around it from journalists and media companies to the White House and politicos. Tammy Haddad is Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief of WHC Insider and she hosts the Washington Insider podcast.

White House Correspondents Insider is not affiliated with or approved by the White House Correspondents Association which is a registered trademark of the WHCA.

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